The Twickenham Museum
Places : Whitton

The Belasyse House
Built opposite Kneller Hall
1687 - 1782

The Belayse family owners

The new house Lord Belasyse built in the 1680s was on a messuage acquired from a William Baker in 1638 called Peacocks Farm. According to his will of 1689, Lord Belasyse bequeathed the Whitton House thus:

"... All that copyhold messuage or tenement with the appurtunances with the barne, Stable, and other buildings erected upon the same lately by myself purchased of Mr. Baker and all the other ground belonging thereunto conteyning two acres more or less situated and being in Whitton..."

The property was left to his wife Anne on his death; his will gave her the disposal of tbe Whitton property to which ever of her daughters she wished. The eldest daughter, Lady Honora Abergavenny inherited the property in 1694. It then passed to the second daughter, Lady Barbara Webb, wife of Sir John Webb, in 1706 (presumably on the death of Honora).

Piggot family owners

Sir John Webb then sold the property to Richard Harcourt and Nevill Ridley in 1715, Harcourt and Ridley acting as trustees for Nathaniel Pigott. In 1738 the property was surrendered to Richard Harcourt junior on the death of his father. Then in 1761 Nathaniel Pigott, the grandson, was admitted to the property.

Therefore the house was owned by the Belasyse family till 1715. Then the Pigott family, at first through trustees, till about 1778.

Demolished

In 1778 it was purchased by Samuel Prime of Kneller Hall and then demolished to clear his view. The two acres which contained the house are listed as a kitchen garden in the prospectus for Kneller Hall, when it was sold in 1846.

The following list of occupiers of the house was constructed from the various rate book entries between 1687 and 1787:

1687 Lord Belasyse.
First mention of the new house
1690 Lady Ann Belasyse
1694 Lady Ann Belasyse & Henry Heines
1695 Lord Ross
1697 and 1698, Francis Rigg Esq
1699 Mr. Harley
1701 Mr. Harley or Francis Rigg
1702 to 1711. Lord Dunbar.
Mary,Lord Belasyse's daughter
by his first marriage was married to
Robert, Viscount Dunbar
1714 Lord Dunbar dies
1715 to 1737. Nathaniel Pigott,
usually entered as Councellor Pigott
1738 to 1755. Charles Pigott
1756 to 1761. Mr Nathaniel Pigott
1762 Esq Potter
1763 Esq Potter or Pigott Esq.
(no rate collected)
1764 Lady Coltsworth
1765 Nathaniel Pigott
1766 Lady Coltsworth or Esq Baker
1767 Baker Esq or Manley's
1768 Esq Baker (no rate collected)
1769 Esq Baker (no rate collected)
1770 Mr. Nathaniel Pigott
1772 to 1774. Late Nathaniel Pigott
(no rate collected)
1775 Bruneer late Nathaniel Pigott
1776 Bruneer Sir Lancelot
1777 Robt St Paul late Pigott or occup
1778 The house and two acres surrendered to
Samuel Prime of Kneller hall. Prime
is known to have demolished a house
or houses opposite his frontage
about this time.
1782 Samuel Prime Esq.
Land late St. Paul had.

(The rate collected was far less than that for the house and land.
It is assumed the house had been demolished)

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